Galatians 3:23

Galatians 3:23 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.
• New International Version (NIV)Before the coming of this faith, we were held in custody under the law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed.
• New King James Version (NKJV)But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed.

Context of Galatians 3:23

21So should we say that God's Law works against God's promises? No, certainly that is not true! It is not possible for the rules of any law to give us life with God. If that could happen, then God would have accepted us as right if we obeyed those rules. 22But the Bible says that sin has power over everyone. People can not get free. This means that we can only receive what God has promised when we trust Jesus Christ. God gives his promise to those who believe. But before God showed us the way of faith, the Law had authority over us. God's Law kept us safe, until God showed us that we must believe in Christ. 24In that way, God's Law was like our guide. It kept us safe until Christ came. Then God could accept us as right because we trusted Christ. 25But now that the way of faith in Christ has come, we do not need God's Law to keep us safe any longer.

Galatians 3:23 word by word

Πρὸ τοῦ δὲ ἐλθεῖν τὴν πίστιν ὑπὸ νόμον ἐφρουρούμεθα συγκλειόμενοι εἰς τὴν μέλλουσαν πίστιν ἀποκαλυφθῆναι.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Butδέde · thenG1161
• beforeπρόpro · beforeG4253
• faithὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• faithπίστιςpistis · faithG4102
• cameἔρχομαιerchomai · to come/goG2064
• we were keptφρουρέωphroureō · to guardG5432
• underὑπόhupo · by/under: underG5259
• the lawνόμοςnomos · lawG3551
• shut upσυγκλείωsugkleiō · to confineG4788
• untoεἰςeis · towardG1519
• should afterwardsμέλλωmellō · to ensueG3195
• be revealedἀποκαλύπτωapokaluptō · to revealG601

Cross-references for Galatians 3:23

• Galatians 3:19So we could ask: Why did God give his Law to his people after his promise to Abraham? He gave his Law to show them which things are wrong. It would have authority until Abraham's special descendant would come. That was the descendant that God had promised to bless. God used angels to give his Law to his people. It was Moses who received the Law from God, and Moses then took it to God's people.
• Galatians 4:1I will say it like this. Think about a son who will one day receive what belongs to his father. While he is still a child, he is like a slave in the family. That is true, even though all his father's things really belong to him.
• Hebrews 12:2As we run, we must always look towards Jesus. He is the one who trusted God completely. Our faith starts with him, and he will help us to trust God all the way to the end. Jesus accepted punishment on the cross. He chose to receive much pain. He did not think about being ashamed to die like that. He knew that God had prepared something very good for him that would make him happy. Now he has sat down at the right side of God to rule with him in heaven.
• Galatians 4:4But when the time that God had decided arrived, he sent his Son into the world. A human mother gave birth to him. He was born a Jew, under the authority of God's Law.
• Galatians 5:18But if God's Spirit leads you, then the rules of God's Law have no authority over you.
• Romans 3:19So, we know that God's Law belongs to the Jews. God told them to obey everything that his Law teaches. As a result, nobody can say: ‘God should not punish me.’ Everybody in the world must stand in front of God and he will judge them.
• Romans 6:14Sin will no longer have authority over you. You do not have a new life because you obey the Law which God gave to Moses. You have a new life because God is very kind to you.
• 1 Corinthians 9:20When I was among Jews, I lived like they do, because I wanted to bring Jews to Christ. The Law that God gave to Moses no longer has authority over me. But I chose to obey that Law when I was among Jewish people who obey it. I did that so that I could help them to believe in Christ.
• Luke 10:23Then Jesus turned and he spoke only to his disciples. He said to them, ‘Be happy because of the things that you are now able to see and understand.
• Hebrews 11:13All these people continued to believe God until they died. But they did not receive all the things that God had promised to give them. They were like people who saw those things far away. That made them happy. These people understood that they lived as strangers and travellers on the earth.
• 1 Peter 1:11They wanted to know when God's special Messiah would come and who he would be. Christ's Spirit showed those prophets that the Messiah would receive much trouble and pain. After that, God would show how great the Messiah is.

Commentaries on Galatians 3:23

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 23But before faith came - Before the Gospel was published. We were kept under the law, shut up - · We were kept as in a strong hold, , locked up, unto the faith - the religion of the Lord Jesus, which should afterwards be revealed. Here the same metaphor is used as above, and for its explanation I must refer the reader to the same place, Romans 11:32; (note).Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 23But before faith came - That is, the system of salvation by faith in the Lord Jesus. Faith here denotes the Christian religion, because faith is its distinguishing characteristic. We were kept under the law - We, who were sinners; we, who have violated the Law. It is a general truth, that before the gospel was introduced, people were under the condemning sentence of the Law. Shut up unto the faith - Enclosed by the Law with reference to the full and…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 23-25Verses 23-25 The law did not teach a living, saving knowledge; but, by its rites and ceremonies, especially by its sacrifices, it pointed to Christ, that they might be justified by faith. And thus it was, as the word properly signifies, a servant, to lead to Christ, as children are led to school by servants who have the care of them, that they might be more fully taught by Him the true way of justification and salvation, which is only by faith in Christ…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 23Because sin had imprisoned us (3:22), the law of Moses acted as a guard, keeping God's people safe (held in custody) until faith in Jesus was revealed. It clearly showed God's requirements and emphasized the need for a Savior. The law also kept sin under control by clearly showing its consequences.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2323. faith--namely, that just mentioned (Ga 3:22), of which Christ is the object. kept--Greek, "kept in ward": the effect of the "shutting up" (Ga 3:22; Ga 4:2; Ro 7:6). unto--"with a view to the faith," &c. We were, in a manner, morally forced to it, so that there remained to us no refuge but faith. Compare the phrase, Psa 78:50, Margin; Psa 31:8. which should afterwards, &c.--"which was afterwards to be revealed."Read the comment

Topics related to Galatians 3:23

• Faith
• Salvation
• Works

In the dictionaries

• Conclude
• Curse
• Eye
• Flesh
• Foolish
• Redeem
• Schoolmaster
• Shut
• Accommodation
• Adoption

Commentaries on Galatians 3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings